Munich

Munich is the capital and the largest city of the German state of Bavaria. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, behind Berlin and Hamburg. About 1.42 million people live within the city limits. Munich was the host city of the 1972 Summer Olympics. Its inhabitants are sometimes called Munichers in English.

The city's motto is "München mag dich" (Munich likes you). Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" (Cosmopolitan city with a heart). Its native name, München, is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat of arms. Black and gold—the colours of the Holy Roman Empire—have been the city's official colours since the time of Ludwig the Bavarian.

The two famous buildings shown on this card are the Frauenkirche and the Rathaus. Thank you my friend Wolfgang.

The Frauenkirche (full name Dom zu Unserer Lieben Frau, "Cathedral of Our Dear Lady") is a church in Munich that serves as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising and seat of its Archbishop. It is a landmark prominent with its twin towers, and is considered a symbol of the Bavarian capital city.

The Rathaus-Glockenspiel of Munich is a tourist attraction in Marienplatz the heart of Munich.

Part of the second construction phase of the New Town Hall, it dates from 1908. Every day at 11 a.m. (as well as 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. in summer) it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century to the amusement of mass crowds of tourists and locals. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V (who also founded the world famous Hofbräuhaus) to Renata of Lorraine. In honour of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria (in white and blue) and Lothringen (in red and white). The Bavarian knight wins every time of course.

This is then followed by the bottom half and second story: Schäfflertanz (the coopers' dance). According to myth, 1517 was a year of plague in Munich. The coopers are said to have danced through the streets to, "bring fresh vitality to fearful dispositions." The coopers remained loyal to the duke, and their dance came to symbolize perseverance and loyalty to authority through difficult times. By tradition, the dance is performed in Munich every seven years. This was described in 1700 as, "an age-old custom", but the current dance was defined only in 1871. The dance can be seen during Fasching (German Carnival): the next one is in 2019.

The whole show lasts somewhere between 12 and 15 minutes long depending on which tune it plays that day. At the very end of the show, a very small golden bird at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps three times, marking the end of the spectacle.

Winter in Finland

This card with the few winter scenes in Finland was sent to me by Susanna who lives in a small village on the edge of the beautiful Finnish archipelago.

The Cruiser Aurora

The cruiser Aurora is arguably the most famous Russian Navy vessel and one of the “must-see” attractions on a shore excursion or guided city tour in St. Petersburg. 

The Aurora was made famous for its participation in the 1917 October Revolution and is currently the oldest commissioned ship in the Russian Navy.

The October Revolution is what really made the Aurora famous. On October 25th, 1917, the Aurora was ordered out to sea but instead remained in the center of St. Petersburg. At approximately 9:45pm the Aurora fired a blank shot into the air, signaling the last chapter in the October Revolution, the assault on Winter Palace. The crew sided with the Bolshevik cause and took part in the attack and final piece of the October Revolution.

Olya sent me this pretty card which shows the daily evening routine of the Retreat ceremony on the Quarterdeck of the famous Aurora. This ceremony is popular among the tourists visiting Saint Petersburg.

Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately 130 km (81 mi) west of Prague (Praha). It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370. It is historically famous for its hot springs (13 main springs, about 300 smaller springs, and the warm-water Teplá River).

In the 19th century, it became a popular tourist destination, especially known for international celebrities visiting for spa treatment. The city is also known for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the popular Czech liqueur Karlovarská Becherovka. The glass manufacturer Moser Glass is located in Karlovy Vary. The city has also given its name to the famous delicacy known as "Carlsbad plums". These plums (usually Quetsch) are candied in hot syrup, then halved and stuffed into dried damsons; this gives them a very intense flavour.

The city has been used as the location for a number of film-shoots, including the 2006 films Last Holiday and box-office hitCasino Royale, both of which used the city's Grandhotel Pupp in different guises.

My good friend Sebik from Hlinsko sent me this nice card.

Girl in Every Port

Yes, you're right Nikita - A Sailor Boy can't survive without a Girl in Every Port :-))

Stade in Lower Saxony

Stade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region (Metropolregion Hamburg). It is the seat of the district named after it. The city was first mentioned in a document from 994. It includes the urban districts of Bützfleth, Hagen and Haddorf which have a district council ("Ortsrat") of their own with some autonomous decision making rights. Stade is located on the lower Elbe River and the German Timber-Frame Road. The city has about 45,000 inhabitants.

Thank you Renee for this nice card.

200th Birth Anniversary of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

This interesting maxicard given to me by Maria commemorates the 200^th Birth Anniversary of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm known as The Grimm Brothers were born at Hanau in Hasse-Kassel, Germany. Jacob Grimm the second son, was born on January 4, 1785 and Wilhelm Grimm the third son, was born on February 24, 1786. The Grimms were a large family of nine children, eight boys and one girl. Their father was a lawyer and after his death they set out to Kassel to attend law school and to follow in their father’s footsteps. 

The Grimms had been collecting fairy tales from the people of Hesse since the early 1800’s. They had a favourite local storyteller named Marie Muller.

In 1812, the Grimm Brothers published their first volume of eighty-six stories and tales. In 1814 the second volume contained seventy stories. The stories were a success and the brothers were recognized for their work in 1819 with honorary doctorates from Marburg University. 

The most beautiful fairytales of the Grimm Brothers as far as I can recollect, were Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Snow-white, Rumpelstiltskin, Tom Thumb, and the list goes on and on. But, the stories I have mentioned here are the really well known ones in the English speaking nations of the world. I was lucky to have a Dad who was a great story-teller and introduced us siblings to the fabulous fairy tale world of the Grimm Brothers. 

In 1838 they began the work on the thirty-two volumes of a German dictionary, which focuses on history. Within the next ten years the Grimms resigned from their teaching at the university of Berlin and devoted their time to the completion of the dictionary. The Grimms did not live to see the final edition of their German dictionary, which took almost a hundred years to complete.

Wilhelm Grimm died on December 16, 1859 and Jacob Grimm on September 20, 1863.